Escalation Cause -- David Gompert and Terrence Kelly, Foreign Policy
How the Pentagon's new strategy could trigger war with China.
As the threat to forward-deployed U.S. forces grows, particularly in East Asia, the Pentagon has been pursuing a strategy known as Air-Sea Battle. As Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Greenert and Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Welsh have outlined here in FP, the goal is to neutralize the ability of enemies to keep U.S. forces at bay with so-called anti-access and area-denial defenses.
But while the proponents of Air-Sea Battle are careful to say that the strategy isn't focused on one specific adversary, we shouldn't kid ourselves: The Chinese see it as aimed at them. Then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said as much in the 2012 defense strategic guidance: "States such as China and Iran will continue to pursue asymmetric means to counter our power projection capabilities.... Accordingly, the U.S. military will invest as required to ensure its ability to operate effectively in anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) environments."
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My Comment: I suspect that U.S. - Chinese relations will sort themselves out .... that some accommodations will be found because they have to be found. As to whether or not the Pentagon's new strategy could trigger a war with China .... on this issue I am deeply skeptical. The U.S. does not have sufficient resources in Asia to be a threat to China .... and with more defense budget cuts being proposed .... even less so in the future .... and the Chinese know this.
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